Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-25425

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 28 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to tackle the reported encroachment of muntjac deer in Scotland.

While there is no established population of muntjac in Scotland, NatureScot are cognisant of concerns around their potential impact should that change.

We recognise that the two main risks are that either existing populations in other parts of Britain may expand their range into Scotland, or that captive muntjac may escape into the wild and establish populations.

Any suspected sightings of muntjac should be reported to NatureScot directly or through the invasive non-native reporting tool on Scotland’s Environment Website . NatureScot follow up all reported sightings. Between three and ten reports a year are investigated, by interviewing witnesses and following up credible sightings with trail cameras and night vision surveys. NatureScot considers nearly all of these have been unlikely to be muntjac based on witness statements.

It is already an offence to keep muntjac in captivity without a licence, and land managers must inform NatureScot without delay if they suspect the presence of muntjac on their land. It is also an offence to transport, use or exchange, breed or permit a muntjac to reproduce.

Since 2021, the Non-Native Species Inspectorate has been carrying out inspections of zoos and private animal collections on behalf of the Scottish Government. The Inspectorate gathers evidence of non-compliance and passes cases on to Police Scotland to investigate, or NatureScot to resolve through licensing. NatureScot has issued two licences to keep muntjac at visitor attractions in the last ten years.

Question reference: S6O-03141

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the open letter sent to MSPs from over 120 colleges, businesses and trade unions, on 5 February, urgently asking for the reinstatement of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund for Scotland’s colleges, which has been removed from the draft Budget for 2024-25.

Question reference: S6O-03111

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the £58.7 million reduction to the College Operational Expenditure budget for 2024-25 on the Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire constituency.

Question reference: S6W-24830

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a complete breakdown of the fee structure for NHS dental payments (a) before and (b) after 1 November 2023.

Question reference: S6W-24828

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the average length of time between an application being received and a final decision being taken regarding support through the Scottish Dental Access Initiative is for (a) each NHS board area and (b) Scotland as a whole.

Question reference: S6W-24824

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many dental practices, broken down by geographical location, offered NHS services (a) before and (b) after the NHS dental payment reform was introduced on 1 November 2023.

Question reference: S6W-24826

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made under the Scottish Dental Access Initiative in the NHS Borders area, and, of those, how many have been successful.

NHS Boards are responsible for receiving and approving applications for the Scottish Dental Access Initiative (SDAI). Successful applications are then sent to the Scottish Government for processing.

As such, the Scottish Government does not hold information on how many SDAI applications have been received in the NHS Borders area, and this information is held by the Health Board.

Scottish Government has provided grant funding to a total of six successful SDAI applicants in the NHS Borders area.

Question reference: S6W-24829

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much grant funding has been awarded through the Scottish Dental Access Initiative in the NHS Borders area, in each year since the scheme began.

Question reference: S6W-24825

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for how long NHS Borders has qualified for the Scottish Dental Access Initiative.

Question reference: S6W-24016

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Rural Affairs and Islands budget for 2023-24 has been spent, broken down by (a) the £33 million of “Ring fenced rural funding” received from the UK Government and (b) Scottish Government funding.

Year	Amount
2009	£100,000
2010	£100,000
2011	£185,000
2012	0
2013	0
2014	£35,000
2015	0
2016	0
2017	0
2018	0
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
2022	£100,000
2023	£153,501